How To Store Your Bar Soap, Keep It Hygienic, and Longer-Lasting

Using a bar soap to keep your skin clean is growing in popularity due to its zero-waste factor, simple formulations of natural ingredients, and versatility. But some people worry about making the switch from liquid to bar soap due to its hygienic qualities. With bar soap being kept out in the open, you may worry that it’s susceptible to gathering germs on it throughout the day, with the exposed surface. But the truth is, bar soap can easily be stored to keep it hygienic and to make it last longer.

Is Bar Soap Unhygienic?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word hygienic means, "Conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially by being clean; sanitary." This is where the grey line is formed around peoples' opinions on whether or not bar soap is hygienic. While you might think that germs and bacteria can build up on the surface of the soap in between uses, these bacteria are coming from your own microbiome of the skin. Our skin holds tons of germs and bacteria that are actually quite healthy to us. On top of that, other studies have shown that after using a bar of soap, there are no bad bacteria that are left behind on the skin, because of the cleansing agents of bar soaps, with antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.

Why Doesn’t Bar Soap Last You a Long Time?

There is a number of reasons why your bar soap may be going quicker than you imagined. Starting with the ingredients, softer oils and butter can cause bar soap to slowly fall apart over time and lose its durability. Hard oils can come in the form of coconut and palm oil, while soft oils can be avocado and olive oil. A soap with a blend of both can ultimately hydrate your skin and be long-lasting. The Camel Milk Face & Body Soap contains coconut oil, palm oil, avocado oil, olive oil, among other oils while being formulated to maintain its hardness level throughout its use. How you store your soap is the biggest factor in the longevity of your soap's life. The more water that touches your soap, the quicker it will go. You should aim to keep your soap dry and away from water as often as you can apart from when you are using it.

How To Store Your Bar Soap, Keep It Hygienic, and Longer-Lasting

1. Keep it as dry as possible between uses.

Store your bar soap high and away from water and in a dry area. The excess water left on your soap can cause it to melt. Keep it away from any direct streams of water and don’t be afraid to towel dry it before setting it aside to finish air-drying.

2. Use a soap dish with holes.

A soap dish is an ultimate way to save the life of your soap. A soap dish with holes for easy drainage is ideal to allow the soap to completely dry in between uses and keep it from sitting in any water. The most important part of keeping your soap as dry as possible is air circulation so finding a soap dish with some holes is necessary.

The Soap Saver is an eco-friendly bamboo soap dish with drainage holes that are perfect for keeping your Camel Milk Soap dry in between uses. The bamboo material is hard, resistant to water, and is not easy to deform. The simple design increases the ventilation and draining effect in order to extend the life of your soap. It’s simple to clean in between uses by dropping it into boiling hot water for a few minutes to melt away any excess soap residue.

3. Rinse the surface of your soap before use and after use.

To keep your bar soap hygienic, you’ll simply want to add in the step of rinsing it before and after use for 15 seconds. Doing this before you use it will wash away any bacteria that may have settled on the layer after your last use and get it fresh for you to use. Washing the surface of the bar soap after you use it will remove any bacteria that may have settled on the soap from your use of it.